Metallica Rock ‘Now That We’re Dead’ on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’

Metallica took to TheLate Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS last night (May 15) and performed the song "Now That We're Dead" from their latest release, Hardwired...To Self-Destruct. The appearance took place the day after the band played New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.

"My next guests have sold over 110 million albums," Colbert said as he introduced the group. "Here performing "Now That We're Dead," ladies and gentlemen, Metallica." Frontman James Hetfield, clad in a classic black Motorhead shirt, then introduced the track in the same manner he has been each night of the "Worldwired" tour by saying: "If you want to live forever... then first you must die!"

Set against a moody, blood red lighting scheme, the band ripped through the thundering track while images of the Hardwired cover art continuously morphed the individual members faces together on a series of screens behind them. Despite the small confines of the television stage -- quite the scaled down surroundings from the stadiums Metallica are currently filling -- the group managed to maximize the space, with Hetfield wandering behind drummer Lars Ulrich as guitarist Kirk Hammett delivered the song's solo.

The Colbert gig is the most recent late night television appearance for Metallica to promote Hardwired...To Self-Destruct, which has topped the charts in countries around the world. They've also showed up on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live! The next stop on the "Worldwired" trek is tomorrow night (May 17) in Uniondale, N.Y. at the New Coliseum. The remaining North American tour dates can be found here.